Fortuna Council welcomes new councilwoman, Strehl reappointed as mayor

Fortuna's council meeting saw incumbent Mayor Douglas Strehl reappointed, Councilman Mike Lowsey taking over the mayor pro tem position previously held by former Councilman Ken Zanzi, and the seating of new Councilwoman Tami Gillam-Trent.

Gillam-Trent and Strehl were elected to the council's two open seats in November's election.

"It was my first meeting, but it was actually very comfortable," Gillam-Trent said. "I felt like I fit right in."

According to Gillam-Trent, the decisions to reappoint Strehl as mayor and appoint Lowsey as mayor pro tem were made unanimously by the council.

Strehl said while the appointment was expected -- the council had indicated at a previous meeting that he would be nominated -- he said he is excited to serve again.

"The best part is I have always loved this town. It's nice to be its representative," he said.

Although Gillam-Trent said it was bittersweet to say goodbye to Zanzi, who decided not to run for reelection, she said she was excited for the new council to get to work.

One of the new council's first items of business was considering the adoption of a resolution imposing a $1 fee on any applicant for a business license or renewal, for the purpose of increasing disability access.

Strehl said the fee passed unanimously, but it was "approved under protest." Strehl said the council worries not only about creating additional hurdles for business owners, but also about state-imposed fees.

"It seems like every time you turn around, the state raises a fee, and you don't have any input," he said. "Hopefully, there is going to be some good from it though. At least Fortuna will see some of that money coming in to help educate the business world about being ADA compliant."

The fee is part of Senate Bill 1186, signed into law by Gov. Jerry Brown in late September, which is designed to help businesses comply with Americans with Disabilities Act requirements.

The $1 fee will go into effect July 1, 2013, according to a staff report. All businesses, including rental properties and nonprofits, would be subject to the fee. Under the bill, 70 percent of the fee would be kept by the city to facilitate compliance with federal and state disability laws. The other 30 percent would go to the Office of the State Architect for its disability program.